We Owe Him the Mountains
by May Eve
Summary: Kakashi learns something about Naruto that Iruka doesn't know. Mentioned KakaIru.


_A/N: I'm purging my files, so expect several updates in a row. I apologize for any errors or lacking quality - some of this is old and hardly edited._

**We Owe Him the Mountains**

Hatake Kakashi stood out on the doorstep, watching Iruka wave goodnight and quietly shut his front door. He just knew there was an embarrassing smile on his face, and was again thankful for his family's traditional mask. This was their second date and everything was going so well, Kakashi couldn't help waiting for the other shoe to drop.

He turned from the house, adopting his usual blankly sardonic expression and meandering down the street until he reached an easily accessible rooftop. He made good time to his apartment and his feet had just hit the ground when the sense of company had him spinning, kunai raised.

Uzumaki Naruto's familiar, stocky figure was oddly unsettling outlined in the moonlight. Though that might have been the boy's uncharacteristic silence or his sharp, unsmiling eyes.

His student's typical cheer was absent, the child's voice toneless when he spoke, "You went out with Iruka." Kakashi opened his mouth to respond, careful with the knowledge of how close Naruto and Iruka were and wary of the boy's behavior. He took a breath to say how he really cared for Iruka and some other reassuring sappiness, but let it out when every instinct he possessed screamed at him not to speak, not to draw attention from the threat. Confused, Kakashi breathed out and did not miss the glint in Naruto's bright eyes as they looked him over.

Kakashi's face remained impassive under the boy's scrutiny. He stood still and held his questions while Naruto examined him from head to toe, bounced around, studied his eyes, his face, the line of his back, before nodding, seemingly having found whatever he was searching for. When he spoke, Naruto's voice had thankfully regained its color.

"Aa. You'll be good together. But, Kakashi-sensei…" and Naruto trailed off, staring into his face and not seeing anything Kakashi could guess at. He shook himself quickly and continued, quieter, solemn, his head bowed, "Iruka-sensei doesn't do anything halfway. Once he cares for you, it's for always and nothing will change that. He'll do anything to help you, like he has for me."

Naruto raised his head and Kakashi stilled further under slit-eyed blue and a will of fire. "You'd better understand that now and never hurt him." That child's voice, only just beginning to mature, grew deeper, took on the edge of the growl that echoed before the world lit up in flames and the mountains fell, "Iruka saved my life. He doesn't understand what all that means and I hope he never will, but you had better remember it. Because if you fuck this up, death will be a mercy. I'm not the only one who owes him, or the greatest force protecting him."

Before the jounin could blink, red-speckled blue eyes were inches from his face and a heavy claw tapped at his throat. Kakashi's eyes narrowed, but he held his ground, recognizing a force he could never hope to outrun.

A feral grin lit the twisted, familiar face, "Don't forget, ningen." And that voice was entirely the demon, more thunder than words. Kakashi did not flinch as his student and the boy's tenant vanished in a swirl of leaves. He didn't move at all for several moments. When he at last shifted and raised his hands, he noted detachedly the fine tremors that ran through them. Turning on his heel, he leapt into the nearest tree and made his way steadily out of the forest, allowing a form of moving meditation to settle him.

By the time he reached his apartment, he could almost forget the way his hands had trembled, pretend he couldn't still taste the blood and horror that the Kyuubi breathed. And as he fell to sleep that night, he could almost ignore the incident completely but for a stray thought that he quickly tucked away to be never considered again.

_I wonder if Iruka has any idea what he saved?_


End file.
